A Timaru Girls’ High School student has retained the prestigious Christine [Chrissie] Castle Cup for a record-equalling fifth time.
The cup was first awarded in 1946 and is contested annually by the school’s eight fastest girls over 100m in all age groups.
At a distinction awards assembly last week, Bella Thin once again was awarded the cup after winning it in years 9, 10, 11, 12 and now 13.
The feat had only been achieved once before, by Patricia Hayman [nee Stafford], who won the cup each year between 1947 and 1951, when the race was 100 yards.
To mark the achievement the TGHS Old Girls’ Association arranged for Patricia’s daughter, Helen Green, to present Thin with the cup at the special assembly.
Thin said it was a honour to have matched the longstanding record.
‘‘It’s very cool.
‘‘It’s an honour to get this from the ladies in the past and to carry on the tradition of winning it five times in a row.
‘‘I was surprised [to learn of the record], because I didn’t think it meant so much.
‘‘I was just running, and trying to my best.
‘‘I was only aware on the day and all the teachers were really proud of me, which is really cool.
‘‘I was actually injured on this year’s school athletics day.
‘‘I’d done an injury playing a different sport, so to still come out and win it was great.’’
She started athletics when she was 7 and had trained under her coach, Don Garland, since she was 10.
There were still plenty of athletics goals on the horizon, she said.
‘‘I plan to hopefully keep competing through uni but at the end of the season in December there is the Secondary Schools in Hastings, so hopefully another final and then next year in Auckland is the New Zealand nationals so I’ll be aiming for another final there, as well.’’
She wished to thank her coach and her friends for all their help with training and competing.
Helen Green said it was nice to be able to present the cup to Bella on behalf of her mother.
‘‘Mum was very proud of her record.
‘‘We always recognise that but she was very understated, she was very good at most things including being a mum, which is the most important part.
‘‘It’s a pretty hard thing to match.
‘‘I know even in her day there was always talk of a new pupil coming in that was faster and would beat her yet she always managed to win over the years.
‘‘As a family we are very proud of what she did and sitting up there to present the cup evoked a lot of special memories.’’
